The open forum of the 56th International Conference of Equestrian Bodies, organized by the International Federation of Equestrian Authorities, will be on IFHA’s website kicking off around 10:30 a.m. CEST (4:30 a.m. ET) October 3 via a live stream. A replay of the conference will be posted in the days following the event.
This year’s event is the first in-person conference in three years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
IFHA President Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, who will deliver the opening and closing remarks, said: “The event comes at an important junction for our industry as we review reforms and important issues affecting sport and look forward to important opportunities and challenges ahead”. comment. “I personally look forward to sharing the ideas that the conference will bring, and for us to connect face-to-face again.”
Topics that will be covered include the U.S. Horse Racing Integrity and Safety Authority, which launched safety initiatives July 1 and will roll out testing and enforcement programs Medicine competition on January 1. Also in this program are expanding the appeal of horse racing globally, addressing climate change through sports, and reviewing what has been learned during the pandemic.
The first session will feature Stuart S. Janney III, President of the Jockey Club of America, and Lisa Lazarus, CEO of HISA. Afterwards, a pre-recorded interview of Rishi Persad with Tony Parker will focus on fan interaction. This topic will also be tackled by Emmanuel Vacher, marketing director of Pari Mutuel Urbain (a betting system controlled by the French state)and Julien Levilain, managing director of Buzzman, the advertising agency responsible for some of PMU’s campaigns.
Clarisse Magnin-Mallez, senior partner at McKinsey, will present on climate change; and, Brant Dunshea, chief executive officer of the UK Equestrian Authority and project executive sponsor for the UK Equestrian Sustainability and Environment report.
The impacts of COVID-19 will be discussed by Masayuki Goto, president and CEO of the Japan Racing Association; Vee Moodley, Executive Director of the National Equestrian Authority of South Africa; and Daniel Krüger, managing director, Deutscher Galopp eV (Germany). Carly Dixon, managing director of Stakeholder, Customer & Corporate Affairs, Racing Victoria, will then present the upcoming 39th Asian Racing Conference, to be held in Melbourne in February 2023.
The first international conference of equestrian governing bodies was organized and hosted by the Société d’Encouragement in Paris, France, on 9 October 1967. Since 1994, the annual conference has been organized by the International Federation of Equestrian Regulatory Authorities in France Galop. In 2019, the last year the conference was held in person, delegates from over 50 different countries were convened along with a number of race executives and other members of the media. JRA has become the official partner of the conference starting in 2021.
IFHA is the global leader in the international sport of Thoroughbred racing, seeking to promote all aspects of the sport around the world; protect the welfare of equestrians and people, and protect and develop its global social and economic significance for present and future generations.
IFHA’s main areas of activity include:
- Drafting and revising the International Agreement on Livestock, Racing and Wages (IABRW)
- Develop policy regarding the welfare and safety of horses and riders
- International race planning and grading (“black category”)
- World Ranking
- The fight against banned substances and horse breeding
- Harmonize racing rules
- IFHA Reference Laboratory Certification
- Accelerating the commercial growth of the global racing industry
This press release has been edited and styled by the BloodHorse Staff.
